Operating automatic coupler for toy and model railroad equipment



Nov 26, 1963 A. FRAZER 3,112,036

OPERATING AUTOMATIC COUPLER FOR TOY AND MODEL RAILROAD EQUIPMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 20. 1960 INVENTOR. JAZZ V fi'fifl Z51? Nev. 25, 195-3 A. FRAZER 3,112,036

OPERATING AUTOMATIC COUPLER FOR TOY AND MODEL RAILROAD EQUIPMENT Filed Sept. 20, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Aug/V $124255 WWW Nov. 26, 1963 A. FRAZER 3,112,036

' OPERATING AUTOMATIC COUPLER FOR TOY AND MODEL RAILROAD EQUIPMENT Filed Sept. 20, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

1441.4 F/ZZZE? Nov. 26, 1963 MODEL RAILROAD EQUIPMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

. 'A. FRAZER 3,112,036. OPERATING AUTOMATIC COUPLER FOR TOY AND Filed Sept. 20, 1960 United States Patent 3,112,036 OPERATRNG AUTOMATHE CGUPLER FOR TOY AND MODEL RAILRSAD EQUIPMENT Alan Frazer, 416 W. 205th St, Apt. 15%, New York 34, FLY. Filed Sept. 20, 1960, Ser No. 57,243 8 Claims. C1. 2l3--2l2) This invention relates to toy and model railways and,

more particularly, to an automatic coupler therefor.

ere has been a need for a simple automatic coupler for toy or model railway equipment which will provide for greater control over the rolling stock during various switching, placement, and spotting operations. it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a toy and model railway coupler for carrying out these various movements in a simple and efficient manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toy and model railway coupler that is of extremely simple construction, substantially foolproof in operation, and which is resistant to all ordinary forces and stresses ordinarily' encountered during the use of toy and model railway equipment.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a toy and model railway coupler which can be effeotively operated by using a minimum number or even a single coupler control track ramp, thus reducing the number of ramps ordinarily required for the proper handling of the rolling stock.

Still an additional object of the present invention is to provide toy and model railway couplers of the type described which will not release unless specifically provided for by the operator, and which will remain uncoupled after being uncoupled over a ramp, so long as the operator desires.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an operating automatic coupler for toy and model railroad equipment which has a close resemblance in overall external appearance and contour to commonly used couplers on full sized railroad equipment, and which can thereby be joined with other toy or model couplers which bear a similar resemblance to full sized couplers.

Still an additional object of the present invention is to provide couplers for toy and model railway equipment which do not require special controls therefor, and which are operated solely through the controls ordinarily used for starting, stopping, and reversing the locomotive.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and ad vantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the folio-wing specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a model railway coupler made in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective front View of the coupler shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective rear View of the coupler shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a front view, taken along line -t-4- of FIGURE 2, of a coupler arm forming a part of the present invention;

FIGURES 5 through 12 are diagrammatic plan views of a pair of couplers made in accordance with the present invention in various operating positions; and

FIGURE 13 is a perspective view of a slightly modified form of spring element forming another part of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, an operating automatic coupler 15 for scale model railroad equipment made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include the base plate 16 having an upwardly projecting bearing post 18 adjacent to one inner end thereof that is received at its uppermost end within an aligned opening 26 in an inverted channel shaped cover plate 22. This cover plate 22 is closed at one inner end and is open at the opposite outer end to define with the base 16 a housing 24-.

A coupler arm 28 has a circular opening 3% at one inner end that rotatably receives the bearing post 18, while the opposite outer end thereof is provided with a knuckle as having hook portions 25 which are intended to interlock to connect a pair of couplers together, as will be hereinafter more fully described. A guard arm 62 is also provided with a circular opening at its inner end, while the outermost end thereof is provided with a guide plate 36 and an associated guide surface 35.

The front end of the base plate is? is provided with an upwardly projecting T-shaped boss 3% having a pair of laterally oppositely disposed abutment surfaces 4%. A Lil-shaped leaf spring 44 is disposed within the housing, with the b ight portion thereof encircling the bearing post 18, and also encircling the inner ends of the coupler arm 28 and guard arm 32 which are received rotatably upon said bearing post 18, and with the opposite ends 42 thereof in abutment with the opposite lateral sides 48 of the 'Fshaped boss 33. The end-s 42 of the spring 44 are also in pressure facing engagement with each one of the coupier and guard arms '28, 32, to yieldably resist lateral separating movement therebetween. Thus, the spring 44 not only serves to yieldably maintain the coupler and guard arms in closed relationship, but also serves to center the closed coupler parts laterally between opposite sides of the housing 24. In FiGURE 13 of the drawing, a slightly modified form of positioning and centering spring 50 is shown to include a length of spring Wire having a plurality of centrally disposed convolutions 52 with angularly related terminal portions 54 that serve as a torsion spring when placed within the housing in the manner described in connection with the spring 44 shown in FIGURE 2. In this alternative arrangement, the circular portions 52 of the spring Bil Would lie in repose upon the base plate 16, concentrically with the larger lower portion of the bearing post 13, and below the rear portions of the coupler arm 28 and guard arm 32 which bear upon said lower portion of the bearing post 1% and upon boss 38. Terminal portions 54' are disposed as described for ends 42 of spring 44.

The knuckle 26 is also provided with a depending operating pin 46 that is slidably received within special grooves in a track ramp especially provided for that purpose, such track ramps being well known parts of model railway equipment. Since the pin 46 is received within the groove of the track ramp, it is possible for the track ramp to draw the knuckle 26 to one side of the housing 24 against the action of centering spring 4-4 or 5% The operation of the couplers will now be more readily understood with further reference to FIGURES 5 and 12 of the drawing. When uncoupled, as shown in FIGURE 5 of the drawing, the couplers are held in their normal closed position by the action of the coupler springs 44 or St The same springs also bear against the base of the T-shaped boss on the mounting plate and keep the coupler parts centered in the coupler pockets. Therefore, the center line of the couplers is approximately above that of the track. In the position shown in FIG- URE 5, the couplers are shown with the active unit on the right :side moving toward the passive unit on the left side. For purposes of description, the active unit is referred to as that unit to which motion is imparted by a locomotive or other piece of powered equipment, while the passive unit is a non-powered car which is made to move only when pushed or pulled by an active unit. However, it is also to be understood that since the units '3 are radially symmetrical, either serve as the active or passive unit. Direction of motion of the active unit is indicated by solid arrow beneath the right coupler; motion of the passive unit by a dashed arrow beneath the left coupler.

At the moment the active unit strikes the pas ve unit, as shown in FIGURE 6, the wedge shaped outer faces of the two knuckles 2-6 come together, and each causes the other to swing to its right. The right side of each coupler contacts the guide surface 35 of the opposing guard arm 36, causing the guard arms to pivot to their left. At the extremity of the swing, the tips of the hooks 25 can slip past each other, as shown.

Once the hooks 25 have passed each other, in FIGURE 7, the pressure exerted by spring again returns the coupler parts to their normal positions, as shown in FIGURE 5, but with the knuckle hooks now engaged behind each other. If tl e active unit continues to move in the same direction, the outer faces of the two knuckles 26 are cradled against the curved lips at the inner ends of the guide surfaces 35 of the opposite guard arms 32. The active unit can thus push the passive unit. These curved lips bear most of the pushing force and prevent either knuckle 26 from wedging itself between the guide plate 36 and the knuckle 26 of the opposing coupler.

When the active unit is reversed, as shown in FIGURE 8, the inner faces of the knuckles 26 are brought into contact, thus engaging the hooks 25 together, in an attitude of tension so as to effect movement of the coupled cars to the right.

As the engaged couplers in FIGURE 9 are drawn over a track ramp, which is exerting pressure indicated by arrows 45 upon the operating pins 46 of both couplers, each coupler arm 28 tends to pivot toward its own right because the pressure exerted by the track ramp 45 upon the control pins 4-6 is greater than the centering pressure exerted by the coupler springs 44 or 5%. However, after a very small swing, the longitudinal faces of the hooks come into firm contact with each other, and prevent further pivoting of the parts. The ramp bars cannot move the operating pins any closer to the track center, so they are themselves deflected away from the center. This condition will prevail until the couplers are pulled clear of the ramp, at which time the ramp bars and conplers will both return to normal, or until the hooks 25 are allowed to disengage and the couplers to swing further as next herein described.

It the couplers, in the position shown in FIGURE 9, are stopped on the ramp, and the active unit is again pushed to the left, the existing tension will cease and the hooks 25 will no longer be engaged. The ramp bars may then return to their normal positions, pushing the operating pins 46 to the center and swinging each coupler arm 28 all the way to its own right. As the couplers pivot, each pushes the opposite guard arm 32 to its left so that the knuckles 26 are completely disengaged, as shown in FIGURE 10. At this point, it is to be noted that one of two alternate actions may be achieved:

(a) As long as the cars are pushed against each other they will not uncouple, so that the operator may push the trains through the ramp without uncoupling; whereby, these cars may thus be pushed beyond the ramp and the parts will then return to the coupled pushing position shown in FIGURE 7.

(b) The uncoupling may be completed by again reversing the active unit and pulling it toward the right, so that the parts assume the position shown in FIGURE 11. During this movement the knuckles 26 slip away from inside the guard plates 36, and the centering springs 44 or St) snap the guard arms 32 back to and even beyond their normal positions. They go beyond the normal positions because the coupler arms 28 are still deflected by the ramp pressure 45 and there is nothing to stop the motion of as shown the guard arms 32 when they reach the center. 'lheir momentum carries them beyond the center, even though the spring pressure stops when the springs 44 or 50 reach their normal positions against the T-sheped bosses 33 on the mounting plates 16. If the active unit is pulled to the right, until it is beyond the ramp, its spring 44 or 5i will return both coupler arms 28 and 32 to normal, as shown in FIGURE 5. The passive unit will remain in the position shown in FIGURE 11 as long as it is retained upon the ramp.

If, while the passive unit remains upon the ramp, as in FIGURE ll, the active coupler is again pushed against the passive one, the guide plate 36 of each coupler will engage between the guide surface 35 and the book 25 of the opposite coupler, as shown in FIGURE 12. This prevents the hooks 25 from engaging with each other, whereby the couplers in this position will enable the active unit to push the passive unit clear of the ramp and continue to push it as far as desired Without actually coupling, so long as no reversing moves are made. The passive unit may thus be placed in any location where the operator desires. Then, when the active unit is reverscd, after reaching this location, the guide plates 36 will be withdrawn from their engagement with the opposing couplers and the coupler springs 44 or 50 will return the couplers to normal, both in the position shown in FEGURE 5.

Thus, this coupler enables the rolling stock to be positioned, spotted, and placed in any desired location, with a minimum amount of control equipment, and in a simple and eflicient manner.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An operating automatic coupler for toy and model railroad equipment comprising, in combination, a housing, a coupler arm having a knuckle and hook at one outer end, a guard arm having a guide plate at one outer end, bearing means pivotally supporting the opposite inner ends of said coupler and guard arms within said housing, y ieldable spring closing and centering means normally urging said outer ends of said coupler and guard arms together to define a closed coupler retaining socket, said closing and centering means yieldably retaining said coupler and guard arms in a centered position within said housing, tie control means directing said coupler arm laterally within said housing in a direction away from said guard arm, and said guard arm being movable laterally away from said coupler arm to separate said guide plate and knuckle and open said socket.

2. An operating automatic coupler for toy and model railroad equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a base plate and a channel shaped cover plate closed at one end and open at the opposite end carried by said base plate.

3. An operating automatic coupler for toy and model railroad equipment as set forth in claim 2, wherein said bearing means comprises a post integral with said one end of said base plate extending into engagement with said cover plate, each of said coupler and guard arms having openings at said inner ends thereof rotatably re ceiving said post.

4. An operating automatic coupler for toy and model railroad equipment as set forth in claim 3, wherein said closing and centering means comprises a T-shaped boss integral with said base plate centered laterally between the opposite sides thereof at said opposite end of said housing, and said spring means comprises a pair of spring fingers each acting inwardly upon one of said arms and confronting one side of said boss.

5. An operating automatic coupler for toy and model railroad equipment as set forth in claim 4, wherein said track control means comprises a depending control pin carried by said coupler arm receivable within the groove of a control track section directing said pin and coupler arm laterally in a direction away from said guard arm against the action of said spring means.

6. An operating automatic coupler for toy and model railroad equipment as set forth in claim 5, wherein said spring means comprises a U-shaped leaf spring.

7. An operating automatic coupler for toy and model railroad equipment as set forth in claim 5, wherein said 10 spring means comprises a convoluted torsion spring having a pair of spring finger tenninal portions.

8. An operating automatic coupler for toy and model railroad equipment as set forth in claim 5, wherein said outer ends of said coupler arm and said guard arm are so formed that said closed coupler retaining socket shall present a contour and outward appearance substantially resembling those of the couplers used on full sized rail road equipment, such contour and outward appearance being well known in the art.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 435,192 Schofield Aug. 26, 1890 720,687 Graupner Feb. 17, 1903 2,631,740 Watson Mar. 17, 1953 

1. AN OPERATING AUTOMATIC COUPLER FOR TOY AND MODEL RAILROAD EQUIPMENT COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A HOUSING, A COUPLER ARM HAVING A KNUCKLE AND HOOK AT ONE OUTER END, A GUARD ARM HAVING A GUIDE PLATE AT ONE OUTER END, BEARING MEANS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING THE OPPOSITE INNER ENDS OF SAID COUPLER AND GUARD ARMS WITHIN SAID HOUSING, YIELDABLE SPRING CLOSING AND CENTERING MEANS NORMALLY URGING SAID OUTER ENDS OF SAID COUPLER AND GUARD ARMS TOGETHER TO DEFINE A CLOSED COUPLER RETAINING SOCKET, SAID CLOSING AND CENTERING MEANS YIELDABLY RETAINING SAID COUPLER AND GUARD ARMS IN A CENTERED POSITION WITHIN SAID HOUSING, TIE CONTROL MEANS DIRECTING SAID COUPLER ARM LATERALLY WITHIN SAID HOUSING IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID GUARD ARM, AND SAID GUARD ARM BEING MOVABLE LATERALLY AWAY FROM SAID COUPLER ARM TO SEPARATE SAID GUIDE PLATE AND KNUCKLE AND OPEN SAID SOCKET. 